Sweet Dreams Can't Wait 'Till Morning
by Lookin' For Treble
Summary: In which they all grow a little older, do things a little dumber, and get a little wiser. Christmas AU. Sequel to Sweet As A Candy Cane
1. I Know This Couldn't Fade

_**Hey, guys! This was actually supposed to be up three days ago, my bad. Ah weeeell. Merry Christmas!**_

 _ **This chapter actually isn't really Christmas, but the next few are. Enjoy!**_

 _ **In which they all grow a little older, do things a little dumber, and get a little wiser. Christmas AU. Sequel to SACC.**_

 **Disclaimer:** **oh-oh I don't own anything! Those elves and reindeer are running...**

 **Super unedited, sorry guys! Fair warning, this is rated T, so they're a little more mature than in SACC...**

* * *

 **Sweet Dreams Can't Wait 'Till Morning**

 **Chapter 1- I Know this Couldn't Fade**

 _See, I gotta tell you girl,_  
 _There's nothing quite like you,_  
 _I love the things you do._  
 _I think I'm falling head over heels._

-R5 "Wanna Be Your Everything"

can feel the ground shake. The rumbling of bouncing feet, the uproar of screams, the vibrations from the adrenaline coasting through my veins as my feet pound on the worn-down wood in anticipation.

And then I'm running. Running out, right before the crowd of unsatiated fans, the ones who show me their posters and t-shirts and cell phone cases, the ones who buy glow sticks to hold up through the slow songs, and whip out their phones for the fast ones. They're the people who blow up my Twitter, and have made me chance cell phone number twice already.

These are the people who keep me on my toes, who keep me running.

They're the people who have lost their voices by the end of the night, despite the fact that I can still hear my name as I stumbled backstage, sweaty and dazed, the adrenaline still pumping through my veins as I high-five each of my band members, my shirt thrown over my shoulder, my hair a wet mess that's been pushed away from my forehead.

And as soon as the drummer has turned on his heels for the buffet table, a sudden weight drops on my back, two thin arms wrapping around my neck, two legs around my waist. My hands instinctively grab the girl's thighs as she leans down, her mouth beside my ear as she whispers excitedly, "Did I scare you?"

I smile, a chuckle erupting from my throat as she pouts. "Sorry, Alls. I told you, it's impossible to scare Austin Moon."

She scoffs, jumping off my back, and I swing around to face her. "I would've sworn I was incognito..."

Her small nose wrinkles as my face leans closer to her. "I have a sixth Ally sense, Babe."

Ally's small hand pushes my face away, claiming, "Ew. You're smelly," although she doesn't make a move to restrain me when I lean down for a quick kiss. "And you taste funny."

I quirk an eyebrow. "But you like it."

She shakes her head. "You need a shower."

My arms tighten around her, and I lean closer. "Course. Care to join?"

And then she's shrieking and whacking my chest, turning the shade of Tobasco as I try and fail to contain my inevitable laughter.

"Austin! That's not funny! Now let go of me before your scent rubs off on me!"

And of course, she comes to regret those words as I pull her tighter to me, effectively rubbing my sweaty face in her hair and my moist arms all over her top.

She's practically crying now, so I throw her over my shoulder and take off down the hall, until I reach my dressing room.

She lays on the couch as I take a quick shower, and she's writing something in the book I gave her for Christmas, already a third of the way full. Slowly, I slide in behind her, watching as she stares at the page intently, tapping the pencil on her chin and nibbling her bottom lip.

We sit silently for a moment before she looks up.

"You smell much better now."

"Thanks."

"So, I talked to my music theory professor today..."

I place my chin on top of her head. "Oh yeah? What'd they say?"

"He said that Starr Records is looking into fresh songwriters, which I suspect is the doing of Kira. And he said that they've been checking out my reputoi and might consider me, which I also suspect is having to do with Kira. So I need to write a new song for them to check out."

My arms snake around her, right beneath her chest. "That's amazing, Alls. I'm so proud of you."

She shifts a little. "Yeah, that's what I thought at first. But then I started writing and it's all turning out as scraps and I'm so stressed under all this pressure. They need it by next week, and I feel like I'm becoming an insomniac because of it."

I shake my head and press a kiss to her temple. "Why don't you actually get some sleep tonight? I'll help you work on it in the morning if you want."

She looks up at me. "Are you staying over?"

"If you want me to."

She nods. "Okay."

* * *

It's when she asks me something that I understand her worries a little more.

We're resting soundly, surrounded by warm covers, and she's tucked into my side, Little Nelson sleeping peacefully in the next room over.

"Austin?" She whispers, her breath grazing my chest as she tangles her legs with my flannel-covered ones.

"Hmm?" I mumble, my cheek resting on top of her head, my thumb drawing lazy patterns on the back of her shoulder.

She moves he head to look up at me in the dim light. "What if Starr doesn't hire me? What if there's someone better?"

I move my hand to her back, rubbing soothing circles through the cotton material of her shirt. "Then we find somewhere else. Bleu Records isn't too far from here."

She sighs and looks back down. "I guess. I just really want this to work."

I kiss the top of her head. "It will."

"You promise?" she mumbles weakly against my chest.

"I promise."

•

I walk into her apartment, holding the check that Nelson's mom had written for her. She's jumping around the room, her arms flailing about while some song blasts through the speakers attached to her phone. The Christmas decorations have been gone for about half a year, and the whole place still feels bare without the excessive green and pine and cinnamon scent.

Leaning in the doorway, I watch her dance around, her arms and legs flying about I uncoordinated bursts. Her eyes are closed and she's singing at the top of her lungs, a song she claims that she doesn't love. She does her best to strike a strong pose as she shouts, failing as she does.

OOOOOH HOOOO!

SHUT UP AND DANCE WITH ME!

I laughed and stood straight, my voice taking her by surprise. "Alls, that song is like a year old."

She looked up at me and stumbled. "I'm trying to get in the mood," she giggled.

Walking up to her, I grabbed her by the hips and pulled her into me "You want to get in the mood with _that_ song?"

Ally slapped my chest. "No, not that mood! _For the song!_ "

I laughed again, nuzzling my nose into her smooth neck. "Shame," I mumbled, pressing a soft kiss to her skin. She giggled at the feeling, tilting herself back away from me. I simply raised an eyebrow, tightening my arms around her and pulling her in for a proper kiss. Despite her protestations, she eventually melted into it, her hands running up my chest, into my hair.

She lets out a small whine as I pull away, her eyes still closed and her hands lightly tugging my hair. Chuckling, I press one last kiss to her lips before leaning my forehead against hers.

"So, how about that song?"

"It can wait."

I laugh. "Now you're in the mood."

"I feel like I shouldn't even a argue with you anymore."

"It's been six months."

"It's been way too long."

"Oh?"

She blushes bright red. "Wha- Aus- you know what I mean!"

I barely hear her, as I'm laughing way too hard. "Okay, okay. At least you're finally on the same page as me."

She huffs. "Why am I even dating you again?"

* * *

"'Cause I love you."

"Austin, please," Ally sighs, shutting Nelson's bedroom door behind her. "Something's up, I know it. Last time you acted like this, the media released all those rumors about me, and Nelson being my son and you tried to lie about shoving that reporter."

I shove my hands in my pockets as I approach her.

 _She'll never live that one down, will she?_

"Alls, I always act like this."

"Austin, you would've beat him up if it weren't for Dez. And that was eight months ago."

"So I may have overreacted once. But that was personal. They can't say those things about my girlfriend."

Ally shoots me a look as she makes her way to her bedroom door. "Austin, everything the media says about you is personal."

Before she can open her door, I sidestep and catch her wrist, pulling her into me. "Yeah, well this is different."

"Care to tell me why?" She asks, as I press a featherlight kiss to her neck.

"Later," I mummer softly, kissing up her jaw to her lips.

"Austin-"

"Ally, we haven't gotten a minute to ourselves for the past two months since I went back to the studio and you started working on the label applications. It can wait."

This seems to shut her up, and she looks like she might even smile as I lean down to seal our lips together. Her arms sling around my neck and my hands slide down to her hips as I take a step, pressing her against her bedroom door. My lips travel over to her neck, biting and nipping as I kiss my way down.

A sound a of content escapes Ally's mouth, and I squeeze her hips and press her harder into the door. She sighs a breathy version of my name, stretching her neck as I scrape my teeth along her sweet skin. Working back up, I place open kisses along her collarbone, up to her jaw, back to her lips.

Arching her back, her hands trail up into my hair, tugging roughly and pulling a growl from the back of my throat. Ally tightens her grip around me, before hopping up and wrapping both legs around my waist. I wrap one arm around her, holding her closer as my other hand reaches for the doorknob.

* * *

Ally's always had a thing for falling asleep on the left side of the bed. No matter what, she must have the left edge. Not the center, or the right- she can't stand the feeling. Although, she has no problem waking up in any of those three places. Especially if I'm there.

My arm extends beneath her head, having lost circulation a while ago. Her breath tickles my chest, warm and light. My fingers twirl her tangled hair, and I know that she's about to wake up. She's always been a light sleeper. Moving my hand, I run my thumb over her hairline by her temple, and we lay in silence for a few minutes before I speak up.

"How long do I need to pet you before I get a good morning?"

She giggles, her eyes still shut. "Meow."

I laugh myself, pulling my arm back to get up. Ally's hand instantly flies to my chest, pulling me back down for a sweet kiss before I get up. Fishing my jeans off the floor, I slide back into them before making my way back to the bed. Ally reaches up and latches onto my hand, and I climb back on top of the sheets, hovering over her.

"You want pancakes?" I ask, resting my forehead on hers.

Her eyes flutter shut and her arms wind around my lower back. She opens her mouth to speak, but suddenly shuts it and opens her eyes with a look of confusion.

She's found it.

She pulls the envelope from where it stuck out of my back pocket, and I roll off to her side so she can read it.

"Ally Dawson...519 Warwick Avenue... New York... Starr Records... Wait, Starr Records?"

Her eyes flicker to me as I prop my head up with my arm and gesture for her to open it.

Carefully, she begins to tear open the envelope. Her hands awkwardly fumble with the paper inside, and I softly stroke her hip with my thumb to calm her. She begins to read the letter upside down, and I realize just how nervous she is. I gently take it from her hands and flip it, handing it back for her to read.

"Miss Allison Dawson," she begins aloud, her voice unsteady and low. "I would like to personally write to you in regards to your songwriting application, sent in about two months- _ohmygod._ Oh my God. Wha- Austin!"

Skimming down the page as fast as I can, I panic and hurry to read what she saw. And then I see it.

In the very last paragraph, the very last sentence, it says clear and unmistakable, " _We look forward to working with you."_

We look forward to working with you.

- _Jimmy Starr_

Her eyes must have jumped to the bottom of the page. Still, we both saw it. She got the job. _She got the job._

Ally squeals in excitement, tossing the paper into the air and throwing her arms around me. I wrap her in the tightest hug I can muster without hurting her, a smile overtaking my whole face.

"I got the job," she sighs into my neck, almost as if she can't believe it. "I got it."

"I know," I say, running my fingers through her hair. "I'm so proud of you, babe."

I feel her eyelashes flutter and her eyes close as though she's dreaming. "It's going to be so different," she states. "All of it." Her lips curve against my skin and she hugs me closer. "So this is why you were acting up yesterday."

"Yup, pretty much."

"You know you can never keep a secret from me."

"I know."

 _Thump-thump._

"Ally? Are you awake?"

Ally quickly pulls away and looks up at me in a flash of panic, but I simply send her an easy smile, getting up and tossing her my shirt from the floor before opening the door.

Nelson warily stumbles into the room, carefully looking around as he makes his way to the bed.

"Hey, little Narts. Are you okay?" Ally asks, lifting him up onto her lap.

He nods and rubs his tired little eyes. "I heard a scream and I thought you got scared."

"I'm okay, sweetie," she assures him. "I just got really excited for something."

He nods again before slumping against her chest.

She looks up at me and smiles like a kid on Christmas. Who says Christmas in August can't be a thing?

* * *

 **Ya guys like? This was kinda just the starter chap, so don't worry, Christmas is coming!**

 **Reviews could be a cool Christmas present, don't ya think?**


	2. A Special Time Is Near

**Damn, sequels are hard. Ythis chapter kinda sucks, too so... Yeah no im not proud of it.**

 **So I realized I uploaded the wrong draft for chapter one... Heh... I'll have to fix that.**

 **Aw man this is actually shorter than I meant for it to be... Whoops... I'll make tomorrow's longer I promise!**

 **not edited again, sorry! I'll go back when I have time.**

 **Disclaimer: we wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas, even though we're broke**

* * *

 **Chapter 2- A Special Time Is Near**

Holidays are made for  
Happiness and cheer  
Ringing sleigh bells means  
A special time is near

-Ross Lynch and Laura Marano "Perfect Christmas"

"Ow! Austin, can you move your boots?"

Looking down from hanging the mistletoe in the kitchen doorway, I spot Ally behind the couch, holding on to stabilize herself with her leg bent as she rubs her toe. I laugh, making my way over and moving my boots off to the side with the rest of our shoes. "Sorry, Alls."

She waves it off and turns back to the area we'd cleared for the tree, tying her hair up as she studies the space.

Standing there by the doorway for a moment, I pause and study her, still marveling at the chances of how we met. It really was insane.

Over Thanksgiving, she met my parents. We'd flown down to Miami and spent the weekend with my parents, half of which consisted of my mother showing Ally all my embarrassing baby pictures and my father reminiscing every awful story from kindergarten through high school.

 _"Ally?" my mother called as I walked into the house._

 _The brunette's cute face appeared in the kitchen doorway. "Yes, Mimi?"_

 _Mom spun around, her hands completely occupied with thee different tasks at once. "Could you maybe help me out on this one? I feel like my body is trying to grow a third arm."_

 _Ally nodded, rushing into the kitchen and joining the flutter around my mother._

 _Wiping my boots on the mudroom mat, I walked into the room and looked around at the dishes that Mom had already whipped up_

 _"Do you need any more help, Mom?"_

 _Mom's eyes flickered to me for only a moment before she was back to skittering around for the right spice. "No, no, Dear. Go clean yourself up before you get your germs on the food."_

 _"Aw, but that's what gives it the best taste," I teased, walking up behind Ally and wrapping my arms around her as she placed the dough over the apple pie._

 _"You smell," she said after leaning back for a quick kiss. "What were you doing?"_

 _"Dad and I were working on that old Mustang by the garage," I told her._

 _She nodded and began making slits in the crust as Mom whacked me in the back with a dish towel. "Let Ally work and go take a shower. Your Aunt Shelly will be here with your cousins soon. You can be lovey-dovey with Ally tomorrow."_

 _Pouting, I begrudgingly let go of her and started for the stairs as Mom began behind me, "Oh, Ally! Has Mike told you the story of how Austin ruined all of his Aunt Shelly's award-winning petunias? No? Remind me to ask him later when he gets in, it's one of my favorites."_

 _•_

 _Apparently I'd been lied to. Ally was already downstairs when I woke the next morning in my old Electric Avenger/Jackson Lowe themed bedroom. She'd gotten up early to help Mom and my cousins with the last few dishes, which meant the "lovey dovey" stuff would have to wait until that night._

 _I was stuck with Aunt Shelly for the day, going and running her errands with her._

 _Needless to say, I was a tiny bit grumpy when my first real conversation with Ally was right before dinner, and all my relatives had began to show up._

 _"Ally, Darling, take a break and go get dressed," Mom instructed her as she wiped her wrist across her forehead, smearing flour everywhere._

 _Ally, being her obedient self, immediately ran up the stairs to my bedroom. I followed close behind, closing the door behind me as she stripped off her shorts and t-shirt, trading them for a smart-casual little red skater dress. She ran to my bathroom, quickly tossing around her little makeup sets and brushing out her ponytail before nearly running smack-dab into me._

 _"Hey," I breathed with a laugh. "Slow down for a moment. I haven't even gotten my hello kiss today."_

 _"Sorry," she breathed, relaxing beneath my touch. She leaned up, sweetly pressing her red lips to mine. I laughed as I felt her lipstick rub off onto me, pulling away and kissing the top of her head before letting her go._

 _She moved aside and sat down on the bed while I fished my clothes out of my suitcase, getting changed._

 _"You don't have to pretend to like my cousins," I told her, stripping off my shirt. "They all have like, fifty percent Aunt Shelly in them, so they can be a little.. You know…"_

 _Ally nodded and toyed with my navy comforters. "They're not so bad."_

 _"Fifty percent of Shelly is still way over the top."_

 _She rolled her eyes._

 _By the time we were downstairs and settled, most of the family had arrived. They all scrutinized Ally when she wasn't looking, but we both knew what was going on._

 _They were judging her. Seeing for themselves if she really was sincere, or if she was using me for my money._

 _We ignored the looks, however, and I introduced her to everyone, a protective arm around her the whole time. The only people who didn't seem to mind her were Gram and Gramps, and a few of my nieces and nephews._

 _Mom soon had the food out on our big oval dining table, and we all crowded around to get a little serving of everything. I was surprised when Ally even loaded up her whole plate._

 _She'd been cooking all day, was her excuse._

 _Plates clanked, stories ran across the dark wooded table, and smiles were thrown every which way._

 _"Mimi, this green bean casserole is fantastic," Aunt Phoebe commented eventually._

 _Mom looked up from her plate, a proud smile on her face. "I would think so. Ally and I spent the whole morning fixing the recipe."_

 _The table fell nearly silent at this, as if in surprise. Phoebe, who'd been particularly harsh in her scrutiny, pursed her lips. "Oh, really now?"_

 _Mom nodded. "Yes, she helped me all yesterday and worked with me since early this morning._

 _A few noticeable looks were shared and hushed whispers were exchanged among my relatives, the looks directed to Ally slowly becoming less and less harsh._

 _I smiled and grabbed her hand under the table. She smiled back._

"... What do you think?" Ally looks up and over at me, and it suddenly hits me that I'd been staring.

"Yeah, of course," I nod, standing up straighter. "Sounds good."

Ally cocks her head to the side. "You didn't hear any of that, did you?"

"No," I admit shamelessly. "I'm just thinking."

"About?"

"You. I dunno. Us."

Looking rather surprised, she simply nods and turns back to the space.

There's no denying it- she's beautiful. From her profile, I can see just how stunning she naturally is. Her dark chocolate hair is pulled up in a messy ponytail, and her matching rich dark eyes flicker back in forth in thought. She gnaws on her full, pink lip, one forearm crossed over her ribs and the other elbow resting on it, her index finger tapping her cheek. And she's so tiny, it's hard to keep from just wrapping her up in my arms all the time.

Really hard.

As in, help-me-Lester-I-might-crush-your-daughter-if-you-don't-do-something hard.

I'm pretty sure he can help me with that. But he might want to learn my name first.

 _"Ally! Sweetheart, what are you doing in Miami?!" Ally's mom nearly tackled her when she opened the door._

 _Ally laughed. "We were in town," she answered, hugging her mom back. "Decided to visit."_

 _"We?" Her mother pulled back, only to notice me awkwardly standing behind her daughter. "Oh! Hello, you must be the boy Ally always talks about."_

 _Ally flushed and I laughed, extending my hand. "Nic-"_

 _"Penny? Who is it?"_

 _A man appeared at the door, rather short with graying hair. His eyes widened at the sight of his daughter, and he too reacted in joy._

 _"Ally!" He rushed forward and hugged her, nearly cutting off her air supply. Still, she hugged him back with a smile._

 _"Hi, Dad."_

 _He pulled away and took her by the shoulders, looking her in the face. "Are you visiting?"_

 _"We are." She nodded, and Mister Dawson's eyes fell on me._

 _A look of skepticism flashed across his face for a moment before he smiled._

 _I extended my hand again and smiled back. "Hello, Sir. I'm-"_

 _"Yes, yes, Dallas- no Houston! Nice to meet you, Son."_

 _"Uh, Sir, it's actually Austin."_

 _"Minor details."_

 _I laughed._

 _Those next few days, he never really did get my name._

 _"Houston, pass the potatoes?"_

 _"Son, where is Ally?"_

 _"Ok, Popstar, I heard you play hockey."_

 _"Moonboy, hands off my daughter when I'm right here." (Sorry, Sir. I didn't see you there.)_

 _"Hey, Kid. Would you mind helping me move that old refrigerator out in the garage."_

 _"Well, it was nice meeting you, Dustin."_

* * *

Sighing with relief, Ally leans her head back against my chest. Her place is finally decorated, and tomorrow we're going to work on mine. I wrap an arm around her, taking in her vanilla and peppermint scent.

"So, you've done quite a bit of thinking today," she says, turning her face up toward me.

Leaning down, I give her a quick kiss. "I know."

"Wanna share?"

"It's not much. Just thinking about this. You know, our anniversary is soon."

She nods and hums. "It's so strange to hear you say that."

I can't help but grin playfully. "Well you better get used to it. We've got quite a few to come."

Ally smiles. "I love you."

I nuzzle my nose against hers. "I love you too."

Damn I wish I had mistletoe in my pocket.

* * *

 **So that made no sense whatsoever... Um... Yeah...**

 **shoutout to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed, love ya guys!**

 **Keep Kool!**

 **bie!**

 **-K8ie❤️**


	3. You Make My Hear Beat

**Hey guys! So I know its been a month, but please don't kill me?**

 **I actually updated today because I super crammed and need your help. I'm not really sure how to continue this story, and I want to know if you guys want to keep it a Christmas AU, OR make it a normal Christmas/winter story?**

 **I'd really appreciate it if you guys told me what you think!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I'm poor and sad...**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

It's hard to believe it's been a year. It feels like it's been two days. Wasn't it just last week I was running to Ally's apartment after I kissed her?

I can still feel my heart dropping into my stomach whenever I think about it; when she suddenly pulled away, breathing a soft "I'm sorry." against my lips. Her warm hands still leave my arms tingling and empty, her scent evading my senses. I can still vividly see Cassidy behind all the cell phone cameras, making a shooing motion and mouthing to GO. And I can still feel the crisp air nipping my cheeks as I run down the sidewalk, all the way to her apartment. The hour of desperation, pounding, then knocking, then simply talking from outside her door. The next two hours of sitting in her doorway, wondering if she's there, or if she's coming back.

I almost regretted looking for her after that first day. Almost. Because even though she'd bruised my back with the fall, brought up a new weapon for my family to use against me, and just shattered my hopes, she'd made the whole experience enjoyable, and actually kissed me back. I know her. She wouldn't have done it if she hadn't wanted to. She's too controlled to do that.

When it sunk in that I couldn't get to her, I decided to give her some space. Just until she would actually talk to me. Dejected, I walked back to the hotel, ignoring Dez's "What's wrong?" and trudging to my room, locking the door. I must have stared at the bracelet for hours, imagining it fitting perfectly on her wrist. Rehearsals the next day were tired and uninspired, which prompted Dez to give me a stern, "Bud, I don't know what happened, but you need to get your act together. Just for this show at the least."

Still, I may not have even been able to even smile at the show if I hadn't spotted her in the crowd right before I went on, wearing my missing blue beanie. She could have easily left after Cassidy's set, and we both knew it. The smile on my face that night felt almost genuine.

I remember weeks after that, she still hadn't given my beanie back, no matter how much I asked. She still hasn't.

I don't ask her for it anymore, but I always tease her about wearing it.

"Alls, you wear that so much it's probably molded to your head."

She looks at me and rolls her eyes. "You love it. you would've taken it back by now if you didn't."

"Well then maybe I should," I say, closing her apartment door and walking into the middle of the living room, blocking the TV.

"Okay," she says, standing up and wrapping her arms around my waist. "Go ahead. No one's stopping you."

I shake my head, cupping her face and pressing a kiss to her lips. "Nah. You're cute in it."

"You think I'm cute in anything that's yours."

"Very true." I lock my arms around her. "So, our anniversary is soon..."

"And?"

"Aaaand I was thinking we could have a day date- visit the kids for the video premier, hit the city, and then dinner?"

"Sounds special."

"Trust me, it will be."

"I bet."

"You don't sound too convinced."

"Convince me, then"

"As you wish."

She giggles, but I cut her off with a kiss, just like the first time. Although this time, neither of us leaves.

Little screams fill the air when we walk into the playroom, high pitched and jubilant. I love it.

Before I can even begin to let go of Ally's hand, the kids have pried us apart and are busy launching themselves at us. The little boy with the shaggy blonde hair- Ethan- immediately jumps up for me to catch him. His chubby baby arms wrap around my neck, and I ruffle his har before setting him down. Kneeling down on one knee beside him, I give hugs to the little ones that surround me, calling many by name and taking note of new shaves and colored cheeks.

To my left, Ally also has a group of kids around her, each latching onto her with tiny hands. She hugs and kisses each one, smiling at their enthusiasm. Once Heidi reacher her, however, she grabs Ally and refuses to let go. She wraps her arms around her leg, holding on and refusing to let go. Megan, last to reach her, laughs at her sister and hugs Ally tight, almost as tight as Ally hugs her.

When they let go, the three make their way over back to me. Megan would be the first to hug me, but Heidi detaches herself from Ally's leg and races ahead. She hugs my legs first, then raises her arms in an I want up gesture. Laughing, I lift her and place her on my hip.

"How's my little girlfriend?" I ask teasingly, and she giggles.

"Good."

"That's awesome," I smile.

"Yeah," she nods. "Do I get a kiss?"

"Sure, sweetheart."

She puckers her lips, and I try not to laugh as I copy her, right as she leans forward and gives me a quick peck, her lips barely touching mine.

Heidi lets me put her down, content with herself. Megan comes forward next, and I wrap my arms around her shoulders as hers go around my waist. I smile down at her when we pull apart, ruffling her hair. "You hair's growing so fast."

She smiles and fixes her hair, now the length of a bob.

Megan's eyes are brighter than the last time we saw her. Her face glows, and her smile seems wider. I'm glad to see it, though. She's been happier, now that she's in remission. She told us last time we came to visit, practically jumping off the walls with happiness. The doctor had just left the room when we walked in, a wide smile on her face. Apparently, she'd just learned so too.

Megan and Ally must've hugged for an hour, crying tears of joy and relief. By the time I even got to her, Val was by the door, telling us it was time to go. I hugged the girl, whispering a soft "congrats" into her ear before smiling down at her and letting go, taking Ally's hand as we walked out. "We'll come back when we're done," I'd told her over my shoulder.

I smile and clap my hands, looking at all the little kids. They look back up at me expectantly."Are you guys all ready?"

They respond with a chorus off-key cheers.

Honestly, we weren't even sure if we should watch the video premier with the kids- many of them were really young. Not that there wasn't anything too mature for them, no. We just weren't sure if they'd get it too well.

Still, we'd wanted to spend at least part of the day with them, and it only felt right to watch the video with them.

They all settle down somewhere, Heidi in Ally's lap, Ethan in mine, and Megan leaning against my side. The nurses had set up a projector and turned off the lights, projecting the video onto a blank, blue wall.

The video itself may have been one of my best. And it wasn't because Ally was in it. Not at all… Okay maybe it was. But can you blame me? She's utterly adorable and one hell of an actress. We'd filmed in Florida, down in Phil's Fun Town. It was an upbeat, silly video that we'd put together quickly after we realized we had so much footage of that day when Dez had caught us on tape around the park.

Heidi squeals and hides her face behind Ally's hand when she sees me kiss her, even if it was quick. We simply laugh, but she refuses to uncover her face until I declare that we we're leaving soon.

We really do stay for a few more hours, playing and catching up with the kids.

We stroll down the streets afterward, simply just walking with her hand in mine, before I lead her to the restaurant I had picked out. The chilly air is crisp against our faces, and her face is a deep rosy color whenever I look at her. Her hand is small and cold in mine, but I just pull her closer and kiss them. Her whole face is cold, so I pull her closer and kiss her too.

She smiles up at me, that sweet smile I could never find any willpower against, and know that I'd always be a goner. We talk about anything and everything, really. Things we didn't know yet, things we want, and things to come. Occasionally, I place a soft kiss either on her nose, her forehead, it in her hair, just because I know I can. It still shocks me that I can sometimes.

My lips leave her temple, and some sighs contentedly before leaning into my side.

Looking down at her, I study her happy expression for a moment. "What's on your mind?"

She shrugs. "Not much."

"Really?"

"Mmhm. Just a few things here and there." She pauses for a moment, her mouth slightly open as if she's not sure she should continue. "Do you want kids when you grow older?"

"Yeah," I answer immediately. I've thought about it before, on those nights where Ally cuddles up beside me with Nelson sleeping in the other room.

"How many?"

"Eight."

"Eight?"

"Eight." If it's Ally having my kids, I want a whole big family of miniature Austin and Allys running around. "You?"

"Not that many maybe. Four at the most."

Four. But I've still got all the time in the world to change her mind. No need to worry.

But then she slips on ice and stumbles right into me, and we laugh because that's exactly how we met a year ago.

Eventually, I show her to the restaurant I had picked out for us. We'd never been there before, but Jace suggested it to me. It was a nice place with surprisingly loud music and good food. The waiters are all over the place, and clacking and banging are constant noises coming from the kitchen. It's relatively new, but we like it. It's nice and modern, and the breadsticks are the best.

We finish eating and stay a little longer, and I reach across the table and take her hand in mine. It's still cold. Soft, but cold.

"I love you."

I don't even feel cheesy saying it anymore. It's completely cheesy.

But then again, we're cheesy people.

She squeezes my hand. "I love you, too."

* * *

 **Thanks guys! Love youuuuuuuu.**

 **Dont forget to tell me show you think I should continue it, Kay?**

 **im gonna add in shout outs later, promise!**

 **Keep cool!**

 **Bie!**

 **-k8ie ️**


End file.
